Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Sarasota/Bradenton Intl Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Sarasota, Florida 34243
Saturday, January 12, 2013 15:29 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The purpose of the flight was to demonstrate the amphibious airplane for a potential buyer. A witness stated that the pilot had difficulty starting the engine before the accident flight. Witnesses reported that the airplane appeared to be climbing slowly after takeoff, then stopped climbing and appeared to be on the verge of a stall. One witness heard a backfire or popping noise before the accident. The airplane collided with trees and then the ground, and a postcrash fire consumed most of the wreckage.
The investigation revealed that, about 4 months before the accident flight, the accident pilot performed a forced landing on water due to a loss of engine power, after which maintenance personnel found and repaired a broken fuel injector line. During that maintenance, the airplane’s propeller was removed, overhauled, and replaced. The airplane had not been flown in the interim. However, maintenance personnel reported that the pilot performed high speed taxi tests before the accident flight and told them that the engine and propeller were performing satisfactorily. Further, postaccident examination of the airframe, engine, and propeller did not reveal evidence of a preexisting malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation. Smooth cuts in tree limbs indicated that the engine was operating at the time of impact. The reason for the pilot's inability to establish a normal climb rate could not be determined.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inability to establish a normal climb rate after takeoff for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/12/2013 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1529 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Sarasota |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 34243 |
| Event Date Year | 2013 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 272310N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0823343W |
| Event Location Airport | Sarasota/Bradenton Intl |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | SRQ |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 220 |
| Airport Elevation | 30 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1553 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 220 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | SRQ |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 30 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 6500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 25 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 19 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 230 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.08 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 32030 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Sarasota County Sheriff's Offi |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 19 2013 1:11PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N829GS |
| NTSB Number | ERA13FA109 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BENTON FRED D |
| Aircraft Model | SEAWIND 3000 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 20 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3400 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Conditional |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 11 2012 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | J & C ENTERPRISES LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | LONGWOOD |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 32779 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | John W. Ardoyno |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Hayward |
| Operator State | WI |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 54843 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | SRQ |
| Departure City | Sarasota |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1528 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | SRQ |
| Destination City | Sarasota |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 19 2013 1:12PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 22 |
| Runway Length | 5009 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |